Geranium pratense Cluden Sapphire

The Perennial Geranium pratense 'Cluden Sapphire', also known as Meadow Cranesbill, is a very beautiful selection, with its royal blue corollas, washed with pink towards the center, finely veined with white. It blooms in early summer, forming an opulent and flowery mass, a little loose, bending under the showers, rising even more charming. Its abundant foliage turns bronze in autumn. It is a plant with a rustic character, a robust perennial for all gardens, in cool and rich soil.

Geranium pratense 'Cluden Sapphire' belongs to the Geraniaceae family. It is a selection of Meadow Cranesbill, which is distributed over a vast territory, from western Europe to western China. This robust species is found in wet meadows, on the roadside, in mown meadows. 'Cluden Sapphire' has a bushy tufted habit, reaching a height and width of 60 cm (24in). It flowers in June-July, at the top of branched stems, and sometimes reblooms in September. Its flowers, with a diameter of 30 to 35 mm (1in), are dark blue in color and become more pink towards the center, marked with fine white veins, the dark anthers stand out well from the heart of the flower. The foliage is deciduous, composed of large polygonal, lobed and toothed leaves, medium green, measuring 20 cm (8in) long, almost all along the robust and hairy stems. The foliage takes on a lovely color in autumn.

Like many other species of perennial geraniums, Geranium pratense and its varieties perform very well in a nature-friendly garden and are superb plants, providing nectar and pollen for many insects such as butterflies, bees, bumblebees, etc. It is an ideal plant for a cottage garden, in borders, along pathways, on slopes. It will quickly add a colourful touch to simple perennial beds, where it will prove to be a faithful companion to columbines, peonies, lupins, bellflowers, poppies, and other tall daisies.